SYNTHETIC ENZYMOLOGY APPLICATIONS IN THERAPEUTICS AND BIOREMEDIATION

Abstract

Recent advances in biotechnological tools have expanded the capacity for refurbishment of enzymes towards infectious disease treatment and by-product bioremediation. The first objective is to engineer a quorum quenching lactonase from Geobacillus khaustophilus to disrupt clinically relevant Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms. The enzyme was evolved towards metal-independent catalysis by introducing four mutations to improve its compatibility for translational use. The second objective involves enhancing the cyanide production in Chromobacterium violaceum to facilitate gold bioremediation from electronic waste. Through upregulation of cyanide biosynthetic enzymes, engineered C. violaceum was able to produce more cyanide than wild-type. Overall, the engineered bacteria managed to solubilize nearly three times more gold from electronic scraps, thereby providing a robust yet ecological alternative for precious metal recovery from electronic waste.